1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the diagnosis and discrimination of cancerous tumors, and particularly to a method for discriminating between benign and malignant prostate tumors that uses fluorescence spectroscopy to examine samples of blood, urine, and/or tissue to diagnose cancer of the prostate during pre-malignant, early malignant, and advanced malignancy stages, and more particularly, aids in discrimination between prostate cancer (CaP) and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).
2. Description of the Related Art
Cancer is often a fatal disease. Modern medicine has developed many modes of treating cancer, including surgical removal of tumors, chemotherapy, immunological therapy, etc. However, the key to effective treatment is early detection.
A number of diagnostic tests are available for determining the presence of cancer. These tests include: surgical biopsy; prostate specific antigen (PSA); DRE tests; computed axial tomography (CAT or CT scans); magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans; ultrasound scans; bone scans; positron emission tomography (PET) scans; bone marrow testing; barium swallow tests; endoscopy; cytoscopy; T/Tn antigen tests; mammography; and other tests. Although effective to a greater or lesser extent, each of these tests has both advantages and disadvantages.
Some tests, such as PSA, pap smears, and mammography, are specific to particular organs. Others, such as biopsy, endoscopy, bone marrow, and cytoscopy, are invasive tests that often result in considerable discomfort to the patient. Still others, such as CAT scans and MRI scans, are quite expensive and require complex instrumentation.
In particular cancer of the prostate is exclusive to men, and the incidence of prostate cancer increases with age. About 50% of the prostate growth found in men is benign. Among cancerous growths found in patients, about 20% to 30% are found to be low-grade cancers, which could, in men over the age of 70, be left untreated. Therefore, there is a need for a non-invasive technique to discriminate between prostate cancer (CaP) and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).
Thus, there is a need for a simple, relatively inexpensive, noninvasive method of screening patients for the presence of cancer, and particularly prostate cancer, that can be used both for preliminary diagnosis or mass screening of patients, and also during treatment to determine whether cancer has gone into remission. Thus, a method for discriminating between benign and malignant prostate tumors solving the aforementioned problems is desired.